letters to his son, 1751-第10部分

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　them　both！　　Adieu。




LETTER　CXXXVIII

LONDON；　April　15；　O。　S。　　1751

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　　What　success　with　the　graces；　and　in　the　accomplishments；　elegancies；　and　all　those　little　nothings　so　indispensably　necessary　to　constitute　an　amiable　man？　　Do　you　take　them；　do　you　make　a　progress　in　them？　　The　great　secret　is　the　art　of　pleasing；　and　that　art　is　to　be　attained　by　every　man　who　has　a　good　fund　of　common　sense。　　If　you　are　pleased　with　any　person；　examine　why；　do　as　he　does；　and　you　will　charm　others　by　the　same　things　which　please　you　in　him。　To　be　liked　by　women；　you　must　be　esteemed　by　men；　and　to　please　men；　you　must　be　agreeable　to　women。　　Vanity　is　unquestionably　the　ruling　passion　in　women；　and　it　is　much　flattered　by　the　attentions　of　a　man　who　is　generally　esteemed　by　men；　when　his　merit　has　received　the　stamp　of　their　approbation；　women　make　it　current；　that　is　to　say；　put　him　in　fashion。　On　the　other　hand；　if　a　man　has　not　received　the　last　polish　from　women；　he　may　be　estimable　among　men；　but　will　never　be　amiable。　　The　concurrence　of　the　two　sexes　is　as　necessary　to　the　perfection　of　our　being；　as　to　the　formation　of　it。　　Go　among　women　with　the　good　qualities　of　your　sex；　and　you　will　acquire　from　them　the　softness　and　the　graces　of　theirs。　　Men　will　then　add　affection　to　the　esteem　which　they　before　had　for　you。　Women　are　the　only　refiners　of　the　merit　of　men；　it　is　true；　they　cannot　add　weight；　but　they　polish　and　give　lustre　to　it。　　'A　propos'；　I　am　assured；　that　Madame　de　Blot；　although　she　has　no　great　regularity　of　features；　is；　notwithstanding；　excessively　pretty；　and　that；　for　all　that；　she　has　as　yet　been　scrupulously　constant　to　her　husband；　though　she　has　now　been　married　above　a　year。　　Surely　she　does　not　reflect；　that　woman　wants　polishing。　　I　would　have　you　polish　one　another　reciprocally。　　Force；　assiduities；　attentions；　tender　looks；　and　passionate　declarations；　on　your　side　will　produce　some　irresolute　wishes；　at　least；　on　hers；　and　when　even　the　slightest　wishes　arise；　the　rest　will　soon　follow。

As　I　take　you　to　be　the　greatest　'juris　peritus'　and　politician　of　the　whole　Germanic　body；　I　suppose　you　will　have　read　the　King　of　Prussia's　letter　to　the　Elector　of　Mayence；　upon　the　election　of　a　King　of　the　Romans；　and　on　the　other　side；　a　memorial　entitled；　IMPARTIAL　REPRESENTATION　OF　WHAT　IS　JUST　WITH　REGARD　TO　THE　ELECTION　OF　A　KING　OF　THE　ROMANS；　etc。　　The　first　is　extremely　well　written；　but　not　grounded　upon　the　laws　and　customs　of　the　empire。　　The　second　is　very　ill　written　（at　least　in　French）；　but　well　grounded。　　I　fancy　the　author　is　some　German；　who　has　taken　into　his　head　that　he　understands　French。　　I　am；　however；　persuaded　that　the　elegance　and　delicacy　of　the　King　of　Prussia's　letter　will　prevail　with　two…thirds　of　the　public；　in　spite　of　the　solidity　and　truth　contained　in　the　other　piece。　　Such　is　the　force　of　an　elegant　and　delicate　style！

I　wish　you　would　be　so　good　as　to　give　me　a　more　particular　and　circumstantial　account　of　the　method　of　passing　your　time　at　Paris。　For　instance；　where　it　is　that　you　dine　every　Friday；　in　company　with　that　amiable　and　respectable　old　man；　Fontenelle？　　Which　is　the　house　where　you　think　yourself　at　home？　　For　one　always　has　such　a　one；　where　one　is　better　established；　and　more　at　ease　than　anywhere　else。　　Who　are　the　young　Frenchmen　with　whom　you　are　most　intimately　connected？　　Do　you　frequent　the　Dutch　Ambassador's。　　Have　you　penetrated　yet　into　Count　Caunitz's　house？　　Has　Monsieur　de　Pignatelli　the　honor　of　being　one　of　your　humble　servants？　　And　has　the　Pope's　nuncio　included　you　in　the　jubilee？　　Tell　me　also　freely　how　you　are　with　Lord　Huntingdon：　Do　you　see　him　often？　　Do　you　connect　yourself　with　him？　　Answer　all　these　questions　circumstantially　in　your　first　letter。

I　am　told　that　Du　Clos's　book　is　not　in　vogue　at　Paris；　and　that　it　is　violently　criticised：　I　suppose　that　is　because　one　understands　it；　and　being　intelligible　is　now　no　longer　the　fashion。　　I　have　a　very　great　respect　for　fashion；　but　a　much　greater　for　this　book；　which　is；　all　at　once；　true；　solid；　and　bright。　　It　contains　even　epigrams；　what　can　one　wish　for　more？

Mr。　will；　I　suppose；　have　left　Paris　by　this　time　for　his　residence　at　Toulouse。　　I　hope　he　will　acquire　manners　there；　I　am　sure　he　wants　them。　　He　is　awkward；　he　is　silent；　and　has　nothing　agreeable　in　his　address；most　necessary　qualifications　to　distinguish　one's　self　in　business；　as　well　as　in　the　POLITE　WORLD！　　In　truth；　these　two　things　are　so　connected；　that　a　man　cannot　make　a　figure　in　business；　who　is　not　qualified　to　shine　in　the　great　world；　and　to　succeed　perfectly　in　either　the　one　or　the　other；　one　must　be　in　'utrumque　paratus'。　　May　you　be　that；　my　dear　friend！　and　so　we　wish　you　a　good　night。

P。　S。　　Lord　and　Lady　Blessington；　with　their　son　Lord　Mountjoy；　will　be　at　Paris　next　week；　in　their　way　to　the　south　of　France；　I　send　you　a　little　packet　of　books　by　them。　　Pray　go　wait　upon　them；　as　soon　as　you　hear　of　their　arrival；　and　show　them　all　the　attentions　you　can。




LETTER　CXXXIX

LONDON；　April　22；　O。　S。　　1751

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　I　apply　to　you　now；　as　to　the　greatest　virtuoso　of　this；　or　perhaps　any　other　age；　one　whose　superior　judgment　and　distinguishing　eye　hindered　the　King　of　Poland　from　buying　a　bad　picture　at　Venice；　and　whose　decisions　in　the　realms　of　'virtu'　are　final；　and　without　appeal。　Now　to　the　point。　　I　have　had　a　catalogue　sent　me；　'd'une　Trente　a　l'aimable　de　Tableaux　des　plus　Grands　Maitres；　appartenans　au　Sieur　Araignon　Aperen；　valet　de　chambre　de　la　Reine；　sur　le　quai　de　la　Megisserie；　au　coin　de　Arche　Marion'。　　There　I　observe　two　large　pictures　of　Titian；　as　described　in　the　inclosed　page　of　the　catalogue；　No。　18；　which　I　should　be　glad　to　purchase　upon　two　conditions：　the　first　is；　that　they　be　undoubted　originals　of　Titian；　in　good　preservation；　and　the　other　that　they　come　cheap。　　To　ascertain　the　first　（but　without　disparaging　your　skill）；　I　wish　you　would　get　some　undoubted　connoisseurs　to　examine　them　carefully：　and　if；　upon　such　critical　examination；　they　should　be　unanimously　allowed　to　be　undisputed　originals　of　Titian；　and　well　preserved；　then　comes　the　second　point；　the　price：　I　will　not　go　above　two　hundred　pounds　sterling　for　the　two　together；　but　as　much　less　as　you　can　get　them　for。　　I　acknowledge　that　two　hundred　pounds　seems　to　be　a　very　small　sum　for　two　undoubted　Titians　of　that　size；　but；　on　the　other　hand；　as　large　Italian　pictures　are　now　out　of　fashion　at　Paris；　where　fashion　decides　of　everything；　and　as　these　pictures　are　too　large　for　common　rooms；　they　may　possibly　come　within　the　price　above　limited。　I　leave　the　whole　of　this　transaction　（the　price　excepted；　which　I　will　not　exceed）　to　your　consummate　skill　and　prudence；　with　proper　advice　joined　to　them。　　Should　you　happen　to　buy　them　for　that　price；　carry　them　to　your　own　lodgings；　and　get　a　frame　made　to　the　second；　which　I　observe　has　none；　exactly　the　same　with　the　other　frame；　and　have　the　old　one　new　gilt；　and　then　get　them　carefully　packed　up；　and　sent　me　by　Rouen。

I　hear　much　of　your　conversing　with　'les　beaux　esprits'　at　Paris：　I　am　very　glad　of　it；　it　gives　a　degree　of　reputation；　especially　at　Paris；　and　their　conversation　is　generally　instructive；　though　sometimes　affected。　　It　must　be　owned；　that　the　polite　conversation　of　the　men　and　women　of　fashion　at　Paris；　though　not　always　very　deep；　is　much　less　futile　and　frivolous　than　ours　here。　　It　turns　at　least　upon　some　subject；　something　of　taste；　some　point　of　history；　criticism；　and　even　philosophy；　which；　though　probably　not　quite　so　solid　as　Mr。　Locke's；　is；　however；　better；　and　more　becoming　rational　beings；　than　our　frivolous　dissertations　upon　the　weather；　or　upon　whist。　　Monsieur　du　Clos　observes；　and　I　think　very　justly；　'qu'il　y　a　a　present　en　France　une　fermentation　universelle　de　la　raison　qui　tend　a　se　developper'。　Whereas；　I　am　sorry　to　say；　that　here　that　fermentation　seems　to　have　been　over　some　years　ago；　the　spirit　evaporated；　and　only　the　dregs　left。　Moreover；　'les　beaux　esprits'　at　Paris　are　commonly　well…bred；　which　ours　very　frequently　are　not；　with　the　former　your　manners　will　be　formed；　with　the　latter；　wit　must　generally　be　compounded　for　at　the　expense　of　manners。　　Are　you　acquainted　with　Marivaux；　who　has　certainly　studied；　and　is　well　acquainted　with　the　heart；　but　who　refines　so　much　upon　its　'plis　et　replis'；　and　describes　them　so　affectedly；　that　he　often　is　unintelligible　to　his　readers；　and　sometimes　so；　I　dare　say；　to　himself？　Do　you　know　'Crebillon　le　fils'？　　He　is　a　fine　painter　and　a　pleasing　writer；　his　characters　are　admirable　and　his　reflections　just。　　Frequent　these　people；　and　be　glad；　but　not　proud　of　frequenting　them：　never　boast　of　it；　as　a　proof　of　your　own　merit；　nor　insult；　in　a　manner；　other　companies　by　telling　them　affectedly　what　you；　Montesquieu　and　Fontenelle　were　talking　of　the　other　day；　as　I　have　known　many　people　do　here；　with　regard　to　Pope　and　Swift；　who　had　never　been　twice　in　company　with　either；　nor　carry　into　other　companies　the　'ton'　of　those　meetings　of　'beaux　esprits'。　　Talk　literature；　taste；　philosophy；　etc。；　with　them；　'a　la　bonne　heure'；　but　then；　with　the　same　ease；　and　more　'enjouement'；　talk　'pom…pons；　moires'；　etc。；　with　Madame　de　Blot；　if　she　requires　it。　Almost　every　subject　in　the　world　has　its　proper　time　and　place；　in　which　no　one　is　above　or　below　discussion。　　The　point　is；　to　talk　well　upon　the　subject　you　talk　upon；　and　the　most　trifling；　frivolous　subjects　will　still　give　a　man　of　parts　an　opportunity　of　showing　them。　　'L'usage　du　grand　monde'　can　alone　teach　that。　　That　was　the　distinguishing　characteristic　of　Alcibiades；　and　a　happy　one　it　was；　that　he　could　occasionally；　and　with　so　much　ease；　adopt　the　most　different；　and　even　the　most　opposite　habits　and　manners；　that　each　seemed　natural　to　him。　Prepare　yourself　for　the　great　world；　as　the　'athletae'　used　to　do　for　their　exercises：　oil　（if　I　may　use　that　expression）　your　mind　and　your　manners；　to　give　them　the　necessary　suppleness　and　flexibility；　strength　alone　will　not　do；　as　young　people　are　too　apt　to　think。

How　do　your　exercises　go　on？　　Can　you　manage　a　pretty　v